# Where India meets Jazz: Ramamurthy learned all of this as a child while growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey: Video, Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2023/10/30/where-india-meets-jazz-ramamurthy-learned-all-of-this-as-a-child-while-growing-up-in-the-suburbs-of-new-jersey-video-photos/
- Published: 2023-10-30T00:02:11+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Arun Ramamurthy has explained it all before but is always happy to talk tabla 
and mridangam.**

As a composer, musician and educator, his enthusiasm is evident for the percussion
instruments and the sounds they produce, part of a 1,000-year-old musical form known
as Indian Classical.

Based in Brooklyn, the violinist and the other members of his trio — Sameer Gupta
and Beacon resident Damon Banks — will make their Hudson Valley debut at 7 p.m. 
on Thursday (Sept. 28) at the Towne Crier in Beacon.

As Ramamurthy explains, there are two main forms of Indian Classical. “Hindustani
originated in the north and Carnatic in the south, although they came from the same
place musically,” he says. “There was one root, from which branches grew. They differ
in the approach to improvisation: Hindustani has much shorter compositions that 
have been improvised on, while Carnatic is more composition-based.

“One difference you’ll notice right away is the percussion. The tabla is northern,
while the mridangam is southern and the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic
music ensemble.”

Ramamurthy learned all of this as a child while growing up in the suburbs of New
Jersey, with much of the instruction coming from his maternal grandmother. “She’s
the reason I play the violin,” he says. “She was a super-progressive woman and had
so much power — she thought big and taught me to be unique, never forget who I am
and make sure my music reflects my truest self.”

There was other music played in the house. “I got interested in hip-hop as a 10-
year-old,” Ramamurthy says. “I listened to Radiohead, the blues and Coltrane, which
I was hooked on. My older brother played drums, heavy metal and hard rock, so there
was a lot going on.”

![Basu Ramamurthy — Trina basu](https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/
v1/5c27150c12b13f8feaaed153/1674158884625-SYE36UQZ4S56HEYHWZP6/AIR_2056.jpg?w=640&
ssl=1)

He began lessons in Carnatic music at age 6 or 7. “My mother was a singer and she
started me on Carnatic music,” he says. “It’s always taught vocally, as a way of
internalizing the music. My dad was a lover of music and into organizing; both parents
would set up tours for musicians from India. I focused on Western classical music,
studying violin from 10 to 16, then shifted my focus to Carnatic, connecting with
the improvisational aspects.”

While working at a day job in New York City, Ramamurthy connected with other Indian
American musicians who had an interest in the form. “We’re the first generation 
of musicians that was born here, which gives us the authenticity to bridge these
cultures musically.”

Twelve years ago, he founded a nonprofit collective, Brooklyn Raga Massive. “We’re
focused on finding ways to take care of the musicians and locating sources of revenue
that don’t rely on money coming from the venues,” he says.

Ramamurthy also began his own project. “I heard different grooves in the Carnatic
music that I didn’t feel I could fully express with traditional instrumentation,”
he explains. “Sameer and I always had chemistry, pulling ourselves in different 
directions and loving it.” In performance, Gupta will “represent the traditions 
of American jazz on drum set and Indian classical music on tabla, combining traditional
and modern improvisational styles.” (The original trio included Perry Wortman on
bass, but he moved out of the area.)

“In rehearsals, I would pick a raga,” Ramamurthy recalls. “I understand the raga,
but Perry didn’t know it, so he interpreted it harmonically. We would improvise,
and certain ideas would gel. Compositional elements were structured by letting go
and putting the music in the middle and all of us looking at the middle together.”

Banks came on board two years ago. “Damon has been a blessing — he’s playing electric
bass, which was an intentional thing to bring in pedals,” Ramamurthy says. “It was
my original take on Carnatic music. It was inspired by the energy and spirit of 
jazz. The three people are doing different things and are aware of each other, in
an open circuit. Expect music that is heartfelt, soulful, spiritual and fun. The
music makes sense to all of us more and more as we play it.”

![Arun Ramamurthy Trio](https://i0.wp.com/highlandscurrent.org/wp-content/uploads/
2023/09/Arun-Ramamurthy-Trio-Towne-Crier.png?w=640&ssl=1)

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